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GP-led Walk-in & Health Centre (WIHC)
As well as providing all of the usual general practice services, there
will be a focus on bringing health and wellbeing to people with busy,
active lives who cannot necessarily always find time to attend their own
GP practice.
Worcestershire Primary Care Trust (PCT) is now working with the Elgar
Healthcare to develop new ways of providing healthcare services across
the county, which could include nurses going out to community centres.
Dr Adam Thompson, who was a founding director of Elgar Healthcare, said: “My
co-director Dr Charlie Harris and I are delighted that the PCT has given
us the opportunity to work with them to deliver this new service for
Worcestershire."
Support Programme provided by Elgar Healthcare
Elgar Healthcare is one of a number of accredited NHS Stop Smoking Service providers in the local area. The service has been designed to be an intrinsic part of the national Smokefree campaign, to cascade the support directly to individuals at a practical grass roots level.
To ensure convenience and availability of the service (and therefore increase the likelihood for individuals to attend) we are holding the sessions out in the community such as workplaces, nurseries, community centres, gyms and sports centres who act as hosts to the programmes.
Workplace Support Programmes
Many people spend much (if not most) of their waking time at work. For some, the social element of meeting colleagues in smoking huddles outside of the office buildings can be just as important as the smoking itself. For others, the stress of their jobs enhances their craving to smoke. These, and other factors, can therefore make trying to give up smoking extremely challenging for individuals in the workplace.
Elgar Healthcare has therefore decided to design our Stop Smoking Service to bring the support directly into the workplace. Furthermore, based on past experience and evidence, programmes such as these have a far better success rate when utilising group sessions so we base our Stop Smoking programme on both group sessions as well as individual support strategies.
Stop Smoking in Pregnancy
In addition, a more specialised programme has been designed to help pregnant mums-to-be kick the habit. Therefore we are also setting up programmes to link in with existing antenatal classes and childcare providers.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Cost
The Stop Smoking Service is provided at NO COST to either the hosting organisation/employer or individual/employee. The service receives funding from the NHS based on the number of successful smoking quitters who are required to still be smoke-free at week 4 and week 12. At each session every participant will be asked to breathe into a monitor to measure their carbon monoxide levels giving an indicator as to compliance with the programme as well as a very useful motivational tool for the quitter.
Duration and Frequency of Sessions
The 12-week programme comprises of a weekly 1 hour support group sessions for the first 4 weeks, followed by fortnightly meetings. Built in to the weekly/fortnightly group sessions, is time set aside for 1:1 support for every participant. There is also a 24hr national Smokefree telephone helpline support and also website resources in between times.
Session Venues
To ensure convenience and availability of the service (and therefore increase the likelihood for individuals to attend) we are holding the sessions out in the community such as workplaces, nurseries, community centres, gyms and sports centres. All that is required is a suitably sized meeting room to hold up to 12 participants. The room need only be equipped with desks and chairs and with the potential for being able to show Powerpoint presentations (we have our own laptop and projector).
WORKPLACE HOSTED SESSIONS
Sessions Timings
For workplace hosted sessions, if the employer wishes us to, we are more than happy to try and minimise disruption to the working day by arranging the weekly/fortnightly sessions at lunchtimes or at times before/after shifts. During discussions with the employer about programme setup arrangements, we will agree with the employer as to the most suitable day and time to hold the sessions.
Paid time off or time off in lieu?
This is a matter entirely between the employer and employees to agree upon when the session times are within the normal working day. Some examples of how employers have chosen to manage this have generally come under one of three options:
- Employer provides employees paid time off to participate in the groups
- Some employers have chosen to give the employees time off in lieu where the staff member will be required to make up the time.
- A third alternative may be for the employer and employee to ‘share’ the time. e.g. for each one hour session the employer provide 30 minutes paid time, the remaining half an hour is out of the employee’s own time.
Benefits
| Employer | Employee |
| Increased staff productivity with staff no longer taking smoking breaks | Feels valued as the company is supporting the employee |
| Staff take fewer days off sick due to smoking related illnesses | Colleagues going the programme together support each other. |
| Programme is at no cost to the employer | Programme is at no cost to the employee |
| Increased loyalty and commitment by the employee, acknowledging the support given to them by their employer | Health improvements and increased energy |
THE NEXT STEP
If you would like to offer your employees an on site Stop Smoking service then please contact Elgar Healthcare on 01905 879100.
We will then arrange for an appointment to come and visit you to discuss a tailor made programme of sessions, agree days/times, a start date, meeting room arrangements, etc. We can also provide you with the promotional material to inform people of the service which will include posters for noticeboards and flyers to give out to individuals.
Click here to see the Information leaflet for Employer Hosts.
Click here for other Stop Smoking advice sources.
ELGAR HEALTHCARE – HELPING PEOPLE TO GO
